Instructor: Eitan Chatav, e-mail
Grader: Matthew Wroten, e-mail
Times: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 6:00pm-8:15pm in Library N4006
Office Hours: Wednesday 3:00 to 5:00 in the Math Learning Center and Wednesday 1:00 to 3:00 in my office in the math building, room 2-122 or by appointment.
Summary: Linear algebra is an essential tool in many areas of mathematics, both theoretical and applied. Again one is studying situations that depend on many variables, but now one considers only the simplest functions (the linear ones) thus avoiding calculus. The importance of linear algebra is that the resulting equations are easy to solve. The solutions may be described in terms of certain fundamental algebraic ideas (bases and eigenvalues, for example), that are then used to help understand more complicated phenomena such as the resonance of vibrating systems or fluctuations in populations.
Official Textbook: Otto Bretscher, Linear Algebra with Applications.
Recommended Textbook: Sheldon Axler, Linear Algebra Done Right.
Course Structure: Coursework will be composed of weekly homeworks, and a final exam. Homeworks will be collected on Mondays, the lowest homework grade will be dropped and late homeworks will not be accepted. The final will be given in class on Thursday, July 9. Assignments and further course information will be posted below so consult this page from time to time.
Notes: Fields, Complex Numbers, Vectors and matrices, Vector spaces, Linear Independence, Linear Transformations, Isomorphisms, Inner Products, Transpose, Row Reduction, Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors, Determinant, Hermitian Inner Products, PageRank.
Homework: Assignment 1 is due Monday 6/15. Sorry for the confusion with the bad link. Assignment 2 is due Monday 6/22. Assignment 3 is due Monday 6/29. Note that number 5 on assignment 3 has been changed in a subtle way so that it now makes sense. Assignment 4 is due Monday 7/6.
The final exam will take place on Thursday, 7/9 during normal class time. You will have the entire class period to finish the exam. You may also bring 1 piece of 8.5"x11"-paper with whatever notes you want on the front and back side. Here is a practice final. We will go over it and do further review in class.